Critics Cupboard: Frieda’s French Style CrÍpes

Friday

Apr 29, 2011 at 12:01 AM

If you enjoy crêpes but are too intimidated or unmotivated to make them, Frieda’s has you covered. The company’s new ready-to-use crêpes are perfect for rolling, folding or stacking into an array of sweet and savory dishes.

Saimi Bergmann and Jennifer Mastroianni

Jennifer Mastroianni: If you enjoy crêpes but are too intimidated or unmotivated to make them, Frieda’s has you covered. The company’s new ready-to-use crêpes comes in a 5-ounce resealable pack that contains 10 crêpes. They are perfect for rolling, folding or stacking into an array of sweet and savory dishes.

Although the package says to enjoy them right out of the bag, I found this is not quite true. Rather, heat them in a skillet for about 20 seconds and the difference is night and day. I loved them filled with strawberries and topped with homemade whipped cream.

Heat them for longer and you can use the crispy pieces for toppings on ice cream and pudding. At just 50 calories per crêpe, these delicacies can add lots of flavor without the guilt. Frieda’s offers numerous crepe recipes at www.friedas.com.

Saimi Bergmann: I’m not a crêpe craver. I’ve never once said, “Man, I’ve got a hankering for a thin pancake.” A crêpe, to me, is just transportation. Like a blintz, it serves as a vehicle to get a delicious filling to your mouth.

I tried the suggestion on the back of the package to spread these crêpes with butter and jam. Very tasty. But then I asked myself — what, exactly, was tasty? The butter and jam.

However, the convenience factor cannot be ignored. Why stand at the stove, crêpe pan in hand, trying to master the art of swirling batter to spread it to the correct thinness to create a perfectly browned pancake, when you can just buy these?

Many of the crêpes I’ve eaten have been a bit spongy. These, by comparison, were delicately thin and light. If I decided to serve crêpes, I would choose this product.